Subway Advertising is Most Effective of All Restaurant Chains

Other restaurants with strong consumer ads were Olive Garden, Sonic and Red Lobster

Oct 17, 2013, 9:02 am EDT | By Burke Speaker, Investorplace Writer

Subway Advertising is Most Effective of All Restaurant Chains

The Subway sandwiches are good, but it’s gotta be Jared, right?

Subway restaurant has the most effective advertising brand, according to a new study by Technomic’s Consumer Brand Metrics, a restaurant consultant which monitors 120 restaurant brands on attributes such as brand image, brand fit and customer loyalty.

The research found that Subway “rated highly on the relatability attribute, thanks to everyman Jared Fogle, Subway’s mascot of 15 years.”

“While endorsements from celebrities certainly play a role in Subway’s success, advertisements that feature the brand’s real-life spokesman Jared Fogle may also drive its high ratings on relatability and memorability,” said the study. Indeed, Jared has been crucial to Subway’s marketing.

Ad Age reported that in 2005, then-CMO Chris Carroll said that same-store sales fell 10% after ads with Jared stopped airing after his contract expired. (The study doesn’t mention the $5 Footlong campaign, but that likely helps the memorability score as well.)

Other notable restaurants far down the list were McDonald’s (MCD) (16th), Wendy’s (26th) and Burger King (39th), the latter two of which, according to the study, do not have advertising that is “connecting with consumers as successfully.”